Despite the advantages of consular collegiality, in military emergencies unity of command was sometimes necessary. Rome’s solution to this problem was the appointment of a dictator in place of the consuls. According to ancient tradition, the office of dictator was created in 501 bc, and it was used periodically down to the Second Punic War. The dictator held supreme military command for no longer than six months. He was also termed the master of the army (magister populi), and he appointed a subordinate cavalry commander, the master of horse (magister equitum). The office was thoroughly constitutional and should not be confused with the late republican dictatorships of Sulla and Caesar, which were simply legalizations of autocratic power obtained through military usurpation.
Roman-expansion-in-Italy-from-298-to-201-BCRoman expansion in Italy from 298 to 201 bc.[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
The-western-Mediterranean-during-the-Punic-WarsThe western Mediterranean during the Punic Wars.[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
A-Roman-war-galley-with-infantry-on-deck-in-theA Roman war galley with infantry on deck; in the Vatican Museums.[Credits : Alinari/Art Resource, New York]
The-extent-of-the-Roman-Empire-in-AD-117The extent of the Roman Empire in ad 117.[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
The-hot-room-of-the-imperial-baths-at-Trier-GerThe hot room of the imperial baths at Trier, Ger.[Credits : Fototeca Unione]
The-ancient-Roman-city-of-Thamugadi-in-northeastern-Algeria-foundedThe ancient Roman city of Thamugadi in northeastern Algeria, founded by Trajan in ad 100.[Credits : Fototeca Unione]
The-surrender-of-the-emperor-Valerian-to-the-Persian-kingThe surrender of the emperor Valerian to the Persian king Shāpūr, rock relief, ad …[Credits : Roger-Viollet]
The-barbarian-invasionsThe barbarian invasions.[Credits : Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]
This building has endured a remarkable history in its 2,000 years.[Credits : Acquired from Vast Video]
In classic Roman design, a network of roads and forts were constructed in Britain.[Credits : Acquired from Vast Video]
Many monuments in Ancient Rome tell stories about military campaigns and people.[Credits : Acquired from Vast Video]
The building of the Forum was an expression of imperial power in Ancient Rome.[Credits : Acquired from Vast Video]
This impressive structure marked the northern boundary of the Roman Empire.[Credits : Acquired from Vast Video]
The emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of this wall during a visit to Britain in ad 120.[Credits : Acquired from Vast Video]
The Emperor Hadrian ordered a wall to be built to separate the Romans from the barbarians of …[Credits : Acquired from Vast Video]
The typical features of early Roman domestic architecture.[Credits : Copyright © 2004 AIMS Multimedia (www.aimsmultimedia.com)]
Link to this article and share the full text with the readers of your Web site or blog-post.
If you think a reference to this article on "ancient Rome" will enhance your Web site,
blog-post, or any other web-content, then feel free to link to this article,
and your readers will gain full access to the full article, even if they do not subscribe to our service.
You may want to use the HTML code fragment provided below.
We welcome your comments. Any revisions or updates suggested for this article will be reviewed by our editorial staff. Contact us here.
Regular users of Britannica may notice that this comments feature is less robust than in the past. This is only temporary, while we make the transition to a dramatically new and richer site. The functionality of the system will be restored soon.